47.22 Miles / 3579.83Total Miles
2034 Ft. Elevation Gain / 112,565 Ft. Total Elevation Gain
While we were tucked away–dry, warm, safe and sound, last night, the forecasted rain arrived on schedule, at 3 AM. We woke up at 5:30 AM to get ready for the day. With access to a kitchen, fixing breakfast was a breeze. The weather forecast for today was showing a full day of rain. You know, I’m from Arizona, and I would NEVER ride a bike in the rain–normally. But we have a schedule to keep, and who knows how many days of rain there will be. We can’t really stop to wait it out, if you know what I mean. As we pulled out of Stysh’s Brown Barn, we were completely rain suited up, and it was drizzling. And it continued to rain and drizzle through the entire day.
When we got to Thendara, it was time for second breakfast, so we pulled into a convenience market, that turned out to be a convenience market on steroids. It had fresh pastries and baked goods, gourmet sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, and all kinds of hot and cold beverages, I was completely soaked, cold and shivering, so being indoors helped–a little. I ordered a huge sandwich, but could only eat half of it. And while I was eating that half, the rain turned to a torrential downpour.
We looked at the radar of the storm, and the heavy rain was going to pass us, within the hour, so we decided to hunker down, under the large covered outdoor dining area, and wait it out. And while waiting it out, we booked rooms at Raquette Lake Hotel & Tap Room, so we could dry ourselves, our clothes, bikes and gear out, and be ready for another day of cycling tomorrow.
When the rain throttled back to a drizzle, we started riding again. Everything around us was wet and getting wetter, including us, our phones and our gear, so it was hard to take photos. But there have to be photos, right? We were cycling on a scenic byway through the Adirondacks, and that cannot be forgotten.
Our rooms were above the Tap Room and General Store. We had everything we needed, right there, in that building. I ate the other half of my sandwich, from our morning convenience store stop, for lunch, then went down to the Tap Room for dinner.
After dinner, the rain died down to a very light drizzle, so I was able to walk around a little and check out the lake. Raquette Lake used to be a vacation hot spot for the Carnegies and other ultra rich industrialists, and I can see why. It is a very peaceful, beautiful, friendly place. After my little walk, I stopped by the General Store to get myself a couple of scoops of ice cream, and headed up to bed. With no TV, WIFI, or phone service, I was guaranteed a long restful night.
Living Our Bucket List 